Beginnings

 “I want to paint like you!” said an eleven year old girl at one of my art shows. She was looking at a detailed painting I’d done. “Sure you can,” I said. “You’ll just need to practice.” “But I want to paint like you NOW.” she said, already looking a little disappointed. 

I wondered how to respond… The years I’d spent learning to draw and paint flashed before my eyes. I’d been practicing drawing ever since childhood. Not a very encouraging message to deliver to this sincere eleven year old who appeared to be deflating in front of me. And I could understand why. Even though I hadn’t said it, she knew I’d been working all my life to be able to do the artwork she was looking at that day. But then it hit me—something she didn’t realize. Something I’d never really thought about either.

Every creative journey is full of beginnings. There’s not this one beginning and then a middle and an end. And no matter who you are, or what creative things you’ve done or not done, you’ve already been through lots of beginnings yourself. And there are no endings to this journey, so that makes the “middle” an oxymoron, doesn’t it? 

Here’s what I mean about beginnings: that day, when the eleven year old was wanting to paint like me NOW, I was just beginning to learn how to do certain things. I remember the painting she was looking at and I don’t paint like that anymore. My style has changed and keeps changing. Because I keep beginning again. 

Every artist’s journey is vastly different. That’s why comparisons are useless. I’ve spent my whole life, up till this moment learning to be exactly where I am today, as a person and as an artist. But guess what? Tomorrow I’ll be somewhere a little different. So will you. Just like every morning brings a new day—creativity begins afresh too. So wherever you are, just begin. You’re not behind. You’re not too late. You’re just beginning again. It’s what all artists do.

~Amy